The present invention relates to faucets having pullout sprayheads and, more particularly, to improvements in the manner by which the sprayhead is coupled and/or uncoupled from the faucet body.
Faucets having sprayheads that pull out from the faucet body enable users to manipulate the sprayhead independent of the faucet body and to aim the water spray directly at a target instead of requiring the user to place the target under the sprayhead. Such prior art faucets typically utilize locking bayonet connectors, or connectors comprising collars and snap fingers to produce a retaining force to couple the sprayhead to the faucet body.
One embodiment of the present invention generally provides a liquid dispensing assembly comprising a supply hose adapted to supply a liquid, a dispensing member fluidly coupled to the supply hose and adapted to dispense the liquid, a support member adapted to support the dispensing member, and a magnetic coupling to removably couple the dispensing member to the support member. The magnetic coupling includes a magnetic member supported by one of the support member and the dispensing member. The magnetic member is dipolar and has a magnetic field of between 400 and 2,000 gauss tested at 0.090 inches. The attracted member is magnetically attracted to the magnetic member and supported by the other of the dispensing member and the support member. The magnetic coupling requires between 2.0 and 12.0 pounds of force to pull the dispensing member from the support member.
Another embodiment of the present invention generally provides a method of dispensing liquid. The method comprises the steps of fluidly coupling a dispensing member to a source of liquid through a supply line, supporting the dispensing member with a support member, magnetically holding the dispensing member in a coupled position with the support member, applying force to separate the dispensing member from the support member, and placing the dispensing member proximally to the support member to removably and magnetically couple the dispensing member to the support member. The dispensing member comprises one of a magnetic member and an attracted member, the magnetic member being dipolar and having a magnetic field of between 400 and 2,000 gauss tested at 0.090 inches. The supply line is adapted to extend from the support member when the dispensing member is separated from the support member, the support member comprising the other of the magnetic member and the attracted member.
The above mentioned and other features of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Although the exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.